One of my real world friends - nosemonkey, a B3ta photo-jockey - has revived his political blog, the misleadingly titled Europhobia. What's more he's asked for help in keeping it going, so I'm trying to put together some regular gubbins (prob with a marked US bias) for him. This may mean a less political slant for this blog, it may not: who can say?

In other news, my slating of King Arthur is now up on shinyshelf. Enjoy!

Here's a lovely picture of one of our cats questing fo' lunch. Delightful (and a chance to practice my html).

The American election campaign has moved into its stodgy middle stage. With the freshness of the Democratic nomination long faded, media attention is focussed on the ugly insinuations of the swift boat veterans. It's win-win for George Bush; the attack itself is a masterpiece of political smear - just how can Kerry effectively refute it? - while any counter charge against Bush's patriotism just fuels the fire. The argument that Kerry has talked up his war record just looks all the more valid if he goes on the attack against Bush. What might prove to be the coup de grace was delivered by the president yesterday. President Bush told the NBC network it was time to end the furore over the two candidates' Vietnam-era military records. "I think that we ought to move beyond the past... The real question is who best to lead us forward," he said. It could (and it's almost impossible to predict when news cycles like this will dry up) lead to a feeling that any further debate on this matter will come across as rather churlish. If Bush can neutralise Kerry's war record officially, while leaving the field open for third-part campaigners to continue their sniping, it would count as a great success for the GOP.

With Virgin Films Oliver Stone out in the shops for a couple of weeks now, I've got the second (and last) of my radio interviews today with BBC local radio in Kent. Apparently this will be linked to their specialist film and arts show but have little idea of what this means in the bigger scheme of things! I shall be going into this eyes wide shut - so exactly the same as BBC Sheffield the week before last.